You probably haven’t actually heard of The Melloncollies, but they certainly sound familiar; don’t they? This is something they definitely have going for them. Their name and sound are very familiar, but Goodbye Cruel World is only the band’s first release.
The Melloncollies are a power pop/rock band out of New York that is made up of Simon Erani (lead vocals/guitar), Peter Claro (lead guitar/vocals), Paul Briscoe (bass), Darros Sandler (drums), and Rick Treese (keyboards). They certainly don’t sound like most of what is coming out of Brooklyn today, rather more like something that came out of the 80s or 90s. The band they remind me most of would be the Gin Blossoms, or the poppier side of The Replacements or Paul Westerberg. There website also references artists like The Cranberries, Soul Asylum, or The Wallflowers, that latter two also being pretty good comparisons I feel.
For me, they’re probably too poppy. I like to rock more than The Melloncollies do, but I will say that the more I listened to Goodbye Cruel World, the higher the rating of my review went. I don’t think they’re really doing anything new here, but again, they are doing something we have heard before rather well. Goodbye Cruel World is a collection of a dozen well done pop songs. Erani is credited with writing all of the tracks and while there are a few I didn’t like, he certainly shows a knack for writing a strong song. I don’t doubt The Melloncollies familiar sound will become more familiar if they can continue putting out songs like these.
Key Tracks: Bullet In My Sunday, Let It Rain, Why Oh Why, Loneliest Boy
Kevin Kozel- Sr. MuzikReviews.com Staff
February 11, 2011
